Industrial applications covers many areas including Agriculture, Oil & Gas, Construction, Power generation & Utilities, Medical and Machine to machine. All of these areas have a common requirement for high precision, accurate, reliable and seamless technology which is robust and able to stand up to the demanding and often safety critical nature of the use of GNSS in these areas.

Power Systems

Precision time synchronisation of power system devices is essential for equipment alignment, power generation and transfer, monitoring and control to increase reliability and efficiency. Power blackouts have demonstrated to power companies the need for improved time synchronisation throughout power grid(s). Analyses of blackouts have led many companies to place GPS-based time synchronisation devices in power plants and substations.

Chronos is one of the leading organisations involved in the provision of GNSS timing systems for the power industry and also in the technology and implementation of IEEE1588 systems.

Agriculture

GNSS Technology in precision agriculture products help to minimize costs and maximize yields. Chronos can provide GNSS solutions that deliver sub-metre to centimetre accuracy and automated control. This reduces the potential for skips or overlaps and enables our customers to apply seed and fertiliser only where they are needed – minimizing application costs and increasing productivity. Easy and effective integration and deployment of GNSS systems deliver a fast return on investment.

Chronos represent the two key suppliers of GNSS technology in this sector, bringing a solution to the problem no matter how simple or complex. Products and services such as heading determination systems, relative positioning, RTK and DGPS can all be supplied and if required, installed.

Oil and Gas

The Oil and Gas industry was one of the first industrial sectors to embrace the possibilities of GNSS technology. From seismic exploration, dynamic marine positioning, survey and construction to dynamic positioning drilling operations the full range of technology is utilised to improve efficiency, safety and availability of assets throughout the collection lifecycle.

Chronos represent providers of products for the Oil and Gas Industry including precision positioning equipment (GNSS receivers), GNSS infrastructure (Antennas and distribution) and have relationships with the key service providers in this field to enable the highly accurate dynamic positioning systems.

Machine Control

A key use of GNSS is in machine control applications, farming and agriculture are good examples of this but in the heavy industrial area, machine control of construction equipment is using GNSS technology to strongly increase a machines’ productivity through a shortening in the execution time and a reduction of the costs for the ground crew. An effective machine control system will normally require a real-time GNSS positioning with a few centimetres accuracy.

Scientific

GNSS research in the university and scientific communities has pushed the boundaries of knowledge since the first GPS satellites were launched. Modern times show the signals from multiple-satellite constellation systems being received on a single board, utilising multiple frequencies to push the boundaries of accuracy and precision. Scientific exploration and research such as ionospheric scintillation, earth deformation and other geophysical topics all heavily use high precision GNSS systems often for baseline data gathering.

As well as supplying high precision GNSS equipment such as multi-constellation receivers from Septentrio, into scientific establishments, Chronos is also involved in the research field itself.

Simulation and Testing

Industrial, scientific and machine control applications benefit particularly from GNSS simulation, record & replay systems. To research, develop, test and manufacture effectively you need a controlled and repeatable signal source. Simulators can test the fully capability of the GNSS product whether it be a dedicated machine development system or a research concept, and can lead to shorter development cycles and a reduction in in-field testing.

The advent of record & replay systems such as the LabSat product by our partner Racelogic can provide flexible affordable testing in the development, verification and support phases of a product lifecycle.

A flexible range of external signals can be incorporated in the data-recording, allowing for replay of these signals plus other inputs into the system as a whole, allowing complete 'hardware in the loop' testing using the same synchronised time source. Modules are available for Digital, Serial (RS232, RS422 and RS485) and CAN logging and an analogue module will be available soon.

More complex user derived simulation scenarios can be created with the Satgen software from the LabSat.

Chronos are able to provide a full range of GNSS simulation and testing systems as well as consultancy services.

Bespoke GPS Timing Services

Chronos is able to provide bespoke GPS based timing systems, specified to particular customer requirements. Our design in service allows customers to detail their problem and Chronos will work with them to provide a solution. Accurate time-base; laboratory GNSS distribution; frequency distribution and measurement; customer application boards and OEM integration packs are all services offered to customers utilising the in-house skills or those of our partners. We are also able to integrate multiple types of system such as Fibre Optic time distribution for specialist applications.